Rice and Lamb Mansaf with Vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 kg lamb pieces
• 2 cups long-grain rice
• 2 fresh sweet bell peppers
• 2 carrots
• 1/2 kg pumpkin or squash, cut into cubes
• Red or green hot pepper, as desired
• 1 cup mushrooms
• 1 small onion
• nuts for garnish
• 1 teaspoon sweet baharat (sweet spice)
• a pinch of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon mixed meat spices
• salt to taste

Method

1. Boil the meat in a pressure cooker, if available, with the aromatics of your choice. Soak the rice for a quarter of an hour then drain it.
2. Fry the chopped onion in a little oil until soft, then add the chopped vegetables gradually and sauté until they soften slightly. Add the cooked meat pieces and the spices and sauté briefly.
3. Arrange the vegetables and meat at the bottom of the pot to cover it, then add the rice on top without mixing. Cover the rice with the meat cooking stock at a ratio of 2 cups water for each cup of rice.
4. When the water boils, keep the pot on low heat until the rice is cooked.
5. Invert the pot onto a large serving platter and garnish the rice and meat mansaf with vegetables with nuts as desired.
6. Najwa Awad